Infrastructure

As part of implementation of the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to support mobile and fixed service in high-cost areas of Alaska (Alaska Plan), the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau proposes and seeks comment on a population distribution methodology for estimating the number of Alaskans who receive mobile service within census blocks in remote areas. The Bureau proposes to use this methodology to determine whether mobile service providers participating in the Alaska Plan have met their performance commitments through deployment in eligible census blocks.

The Rural Utilities Service is issuing a final rule with request for comments to outline the general policies for servicing actions associated with financially distressed borrowers from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan Program, Rural Broadband Program, Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program, Broadband Initiatives Program, and Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program.

The US Department of Agriculture invested $5 million in two, high-speed broadband infrastructure projects that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 1,221 rural households, 32 pre-subscribed businesses and 20 pre-subscribed farms in McIntosh and Evans counties in Georgia. The Darien Telephone Company will use a $1 million ReConnect Program grant to expand high-speed internet service to underserved households and businesses in McIntosh County, using Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology.

The persistent problem of the digital divide is hardening into a state of “Internet Inequality.” We know that millions of Virginians still lack access to high-quality affordable broadband. But, because of flaws in how the Federal Communications Commission collects its broadband data, we don’t actually know where they all are. That’s a cause for concern, and I am pleased that our friends in Congress sitting here today are also working to require the FCC to secure reliable broadband deployment data. For too long, the FCC has subsidized networks that are obsolete by the time they are built.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) invested $23.6 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure. This investment will build an all-fiber network that will serve more than 3,000 farms, businesses and homes spread over more than 400 square miles in rural Duchesne and Uintah counties. UBTA-UBET Communications Inc., dba STRATA Networks, will use an $11.8 million ReConnect loan and an $11.8 million ReConnect grant to expand high-speed broadband connectivity within the Uintah Basin, including Ute Indian Tribe communities on the Uintah and Ouray reservation.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) released updated data showing that from December 2016 to December 2018, the number of Americans without any options for at least 250/25 Mbps fixed terrestrial broadband service plummeted by 74%, from 181.7 million to 47 million. And during that same time period, the number of Americans with no options for at least 25/3 Mbps fixed terrestrial broadband service fell by 30%, from 26.1 million to 18.3 million.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Vice Chairman Tom Udall (D-NM), along with Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Bridging the Tribal Digital Divide Act of 2020 to accelerate the deployment of broadband services to Native communities and bridge the digital divide facing Native communities. The bill would expedite the deployment of affordable broadband service on Tribal lands by coordinating and improving the effectiveness of federal resources.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $9 million in four, high-speed broadband infrastructure projects that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 3,744 rural households, 31 businesses, 41 farms and a critical community facility in Tennessee. 

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $3.4 million to create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 603 rural households, 12 farms and a business in Hamilton County (IL). Hamilton County Telephone Cooperative Corporation Inc. will replace copper wire with fiber-optic cable wire. The upgrade will benefit 146 customers in the area. The company provides broadband internet access, entertainment video and voice services to 1,600 customers over approximately 467 square miles.